1981 Florida A&M Rattlers football team

The 1981 Florida A&M Rattlers football team represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Rudy Hubbard, the Rattlers compiled an overall record of 7–4, with a mark of 4–1 in conference play, and finished second in the MEAC.

1981 Florida A&M Rattlers football
Conference	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Record	7–4 (4–1 MEAC)
Head coach	Rudy Hubbard (8th season)
Home stadium	Bragg Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1980 1982 →

1981 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3 South Carolina State $^	5	–	0	–	0			10	–	3	–	0
Florida A&M	4	–	1	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Bethune–Cookman	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Howard	2	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Delaware State	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
North Carolina A&T	0	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 5	vs. Grambling State*	Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY	L 10–21	40,661	[1]
September 12	vs. Murray State*	Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL	L 11–14	32,600	[2]
September 19	Delaware State	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 27–3	13,081	[3]
October 3	at Howard	Howard Stadium Washington, DC	W 31–7	4,500	[4]
October 10	No. 3 Jackson State*	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	L 6–14		[5]
October 24	vs. No. 8 South Carolina State	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Blossom Classic)	L 15–16	21,614	[6]
October 31	at Tuskegee*	Alumni Bowl Tuskegee, AL	W 49–20		[7]
November 7	at North Carolina A&T	Aggie Stadium Greensboro, NC	W 19–2	1,500	[8]
November 14	Southern*	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 41–14	18,100	[9]
November 21	Rhode Island*	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 41–6	3,825	[10]
November 28	vs. Bethune–Cookman	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL (rivalry)	W 29–0	45,964	[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Grambling turns back Florida A&M". Newsday. September 6, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Murray escapes with 14–11 win". The Courier-Journal. September 13, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Rattlers lick chops with home-cooked 27–3 win". The Tampa Tribune-Times. September 20, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Florida A&M shakes it out, rolls it up 31–7". Tallahassee Democrat. October 4, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Jackson State rattles FAMU". The St. Petersburg Times. October 11, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Rattlers drop Classic". Fort Lauderdale News. October 25, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Tuskegee mistakes costly in loss to Rattlers". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 1, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Rattlers win game but lose playoff chances". Tallahassee Democrat. November 8, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Florida A&M runners trample Southern U." Star Tribune. November 15, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Rattlers roll over RI 41–6". Florida Today. November 22, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "FAMU overpowers Wildcats". The Tampa Tribune-Times. November 29, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.